This dictionary, the latest addition to the Oxford Reference series, offers hundreds of fascinating entries covering everything from legendary beings, events, and places to topics and concepts of historical importance. They range from brief definitions of words such as "Fe" (an aspen rod used for measuring corpses and graves) to multi-page explanations of terms like "Druid" and "Celt." A Dictionary of Irish Mythology also includes an invaluable introduction that places the subject in historical context, tracing the influence of Irish mythology through the ages. From the attempts of early Christians to make it conform to New Testament tenets, through the revival of interest among the Romantics of the early 19th century, to the poems of W.B. Yeats a century later and the fantasy literature still popular today ("Conan the Barbarian" is a direct descendant of the Irish tradition), Ellis reveals Irish mythology in all of its rich and varied manifestations. With its lively and absorbing entries, its easy accessibility, and its abundant cross-referencing, this guide offers readers an immediate reference to the many aspects of Irish mythology that make it as as enjoyable and exciting today as it was in the Irish Dark Ages.